


Tuesday Morning 9:21 AM

by FlyBoy



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-20
Updated: 2011-05-20
Packaged: 2017-10-19 15:12:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/202237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyBoy/pseuds/FlyBoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a flash of inspiration (or revelation) Danny Williams thought he finally had the answer about why Steve McGarrett behaved the way he did.  But when he tried to act on that revelation things went in a profoundly unexpected way.  Was there any hope of life ever returning to what it had been?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tuesday Morning 9:21 AM

It was 9:21 am on Tuesday morning when Danny Williams had his revelation – Steve needed to get laid. It was as simple as that. The man had too much testosterone floating around in his system. Danny simply had to get him to tap the supply and … do what a man does.

Even though it was only the beginning of the second day of the workweek, Danny had already seen Steve do three crazy things the previous day. For a long time he just thought the man had a death wish. When he discarded that idea, it was replaced with the thought that Steve was just a few bricks shy of a full load. But now he thought he got it – the man simply needed to get laid, a LOT.

Getting up from his office chair Danny marched into Steve's office where the man was working at his computer and bluntly asked, "When was the last time you got laid?"

Not quite believing his ears, Steve looked up from his laptop screen to Danny. "What?"

"When was the last time you got laid?"

Still a bit stunned by the question, he didn't quite know how to answer. "Come on, it's a simple question: when was the last time you got laid?"

"Danny. Don't you think that's a little personal?"

"Hell no! When it affects your behavior it affects us – my safety in particular since I have to try to keep up with you on every wild goose chase, or another stupid plan that has a 50/50 chance of getting us all killed."

"I'm sorry, Danny," Steve said with his best poker face in place. "I'm not following at all. What are you trying to say?"

"Simple. You do crazy things because you've got too much testosterone. You need to get laid – a LOT – to sort of tap the well and bring you down to a more sane level of living – LIVING being the operative word there. Your poor brain must be just flooded with the stuff. I can almost hear the logic circuits in your brain getting fried by the acid load of testosterone that must be circulating through your system."

Steve simply stared at Danny, thinking that the little man had really lost it this time.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" Danny asked when Steve simply stared at him. "Don't you like to get a little?"

Steve studied Danny for a moment before answering. "Yes, Daniel, I enjoy sex. I have no intention of talking with you about the last time I had sex. Unless I'm having sex with you, you are not part of such a conversation."

As if Steve had not spoken, Danny continued. "So now the question is when? You gonna be home tonight?"

"Yes," Steve answered hesitantly. "Why?"

"I'm coming over and bring some relief for you." Danny turned and walked out of Steve's office. If ever there had been a case of one sentence being heard to have multiple meanings, this was that case. Steve heard Danny say that he was coming to Steve's house that night to bring him some relief – in other words, to have sex with him. Danny had intended his statement to convey that Danny would arrive at Steve's house with a female date who would be "a sure thing" for the poor man. There was that new woman living in his apartment complex. She had seen Steve coming and going from Danny's apartment on different occasions and had asked Danny who the man was. That was followed by the typical: is he single? Is he straight? Is he dating?

Danny immediately returned to his office and called the woman – he just happened to have her cell phone number, being a good neighbor, of course – and asked her if she was busy that night. He set up a date for her with Steve and promised to drive her to Steve's house at 8:00. Plans set, Danny felt a tremendous excitement and gratification at having discovered a problem and setting up a solution.

Danny went about the rest of his day happy and chipper. He whistled while he worked, even one time while he stood at the copy machine he quietly sang a verse of a popular song Grace had made his listen to over and over and over again last weekend.

Steve on the other hand had been thrown for a loop. While he was seriously attracted to his coworker, he had decided long ago that he could not, should not, and would not initiate any sort of intimacy. He was the boss after all, and the boss needed to not be involved with a coworker – especially one who reported to him directly. That was just inviting trouble on so many levels.

But then Danny had come into his office and pronounced that he needed sex and that he was going to solve Steve's problem that night. Steve was both titillated and appalled. He had been good. He had resisted temptation. There had been countless openings when he could have worked his magic on Danny, but he had fought down the urge every time. He was so proud of himself for taking the high road.

Of course, it was also true that Steve got laid about as often as a monk in a monastery anymore. He was a man. A man in his prime. A man in his prime with urges. A man in his prime with urges and needs. And good God, he loved sex. What man didn't?

For the rest of the day Steve had this battle playing out in his mind. He saw it as the forces of good and the forces of evil. Skirmishes persisted throughout the day, to the point that when Danny stuck his head in at 5:00 to announce he was leaving, he said, "Why the aneurism face? Huh? You need to use the phone again and can't remember how it works?"

"Get out, Danny. I was just thinking. Nothing that concerns you."

"You pop a blood vessel by thinking too hard and it most certainly does affect me."

"Go home, Danno."

"Fine. 8:00 tonight."

"What's 8:00 tonight?"

"8:00 tonight. I'll be coming over to your place with an answer to your problem. We're getting you laid."

"Danny!!! No!!"

"Night Steve!" he said making a fast exit from the building before Steve could catch him to try another crazy plan to dissuade him from carrying out his plan. And his plan was brilliant, he thought! He was so pleased with himself.

Any glee that Danny was feeling was offset by dread and anxiety on Steve's part. He had been good. He had resisted temptation for months. He had denied what he wanted. And now the universe was not just tempting him but dropping temptation into his lap! Life was so not fair!

Steve tried to do a bit more work but found that he couldn't concentrate enough to even spell his name properly, so he called it a day and headed out. By instinct he drove toward his house, but then realized that he could head off Danny's crazy plan by simply not going home. But where could he go? Where Danny wouldn't look for him?

"Wait a minute! Grow up McGarrett! You're an adult. You can handle a little temptation and just tell him that he couldn't sleep with Danny because it would mess up their work dynamics. That's it! I'll tell him that."

Unfortunately, even as he finished his little monologue, he realized that there was one flaw in his thinking – Danny. The man was like a force of nature – with an attitude. He was like a dog with a big meaty bone in its mouth. "Oh, crap! I am so fucked!"

Resigning himself to the inevitable, Steve drove home and tried to relax. He went for a swim in the ocean, trying to burn off energy and anxiety and worry. That always worked for him. The only problem this time was that when he got back onshore the anxiety seemed to find him once again.

After a quick shower to wash off the salt from the ocean, Steve dressed in some baggy shorts and an old t-shirt with the arms cut out. He tried to do a little housework, but there really wasn't anything that needed to be done. He lived alone and he was somewhat precise in his quest for neatness and order (others would call it obsessive).

At 7:55 Steve jumped involuntarily when his front door bell rang. He took a deep breath and considered running away before finally moving to answer the door. He was quietly praying that it was a door-to-door Jehovah's Witness or Mormon missionaries. No such luck. When Steve opened the door a very excited Danny Williams pushed his way inside.

Steve closed the door and followed him into the house. The man was practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"Danny, this is a bad idea."

"Steve, you don't even know what the idea is, so how can you say it's a bad idea? Huh, big guy?"

"Danny, …"

"No! We are agreed that we need to get you laid, work out some of the unexpressed energy you've got bottled up inside, …"

"Danny! I do not need you to …"

"Enough! It's nearly time." Looking at Steve, he added, "Is that what you're wearing? Well, doesn't matter, you'll be out of it before the night's over."

"Danny! NO! Please, I'm begging you. I've been … We can't … Just no!"

"Too late. It's 8:00. No turning back now."

"Huh? What's so special about 8:00? Danno, you're freaking me out a little here. You're acting mighty strange, even for you."

"You think I'm acting strange? You? Me? Strange? Is that ever the pot calling the kettle black! My friend, you hold the patent of strange, crazy, bizarre, … want me to go on?"

"I'd rather we weren't having this conversation at all."

"Steve, you are so going to thank me when this night is over!"

Steve raised an eyebrow, noticing a level of cockiness that was extreme even for the Jersey boy. "Awfully sure of yourself, aren't you?"

"Yes! When I get a plan it's a good one! You are going to be thanking me for weeks for this!"

Steve simply crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Danny.

"So, you got any beer?" Danny asked. "Wait a minute! You're Steve, of course you have beer. Duh! Be a good boy and get me one why don't you."

Steve simply stared at Danny before slowly nodding his head and saying "Yea. Sure." Not sure that he should leave Danny alone at the moment, Steve nonetheless turned and walked into the kitchen to grab two beers. Before he carried them back into the living room he did something he never did – he took a bottle of the good Kentucky bourbon from the shelf and took a big swallow. He put the bottle back, took a deep breath, and shuddered. "I don't know how people can drink that stuff," he said aloud to himself.

Back in the living room he handed Danny his beer and sat down on the couch to watch the man pace, babbling on and on and on about something, about nothing, about everything. After about 15 minutes Steve turned Danny out and flipped on the tv.

"What are you doing?"

"I was gonna see what's on tv?"

"No! No! No! You need to get ready! We're getting you laid, remember!?"

Steve had had about all he could handle. He was becoming irritated. He stood and said, "Fine!" as he walked out of the room toward his bedroom. In his room he stripped off the few clothes he had on, grabbed some condoms and lube from the bathroom closet – I mean, really, he hadn't had need for them in such a long time – and laid back on the bed, arms folded behind his head, trying to put on his best "come hither" look. It didn't work, of course, coming across as more of an escaped mental patient look than a beguiling, seductive look. Steve didn't have a lot of experience in seducing people.

He laid on his bed trying different looks, different angles, did positions. After about 15 minutes he decided that perhaps he should fluff himself up a bit to appear more – well, just more. He really didn't need to worry too much in that department, which was a good thing because getting an erection at the moment simply was not in the cards.

After about 25 minutes he was growing impatient, thinking that he had been had, that he had been played in some complicated game. He was just about to get up and get redressed when he heard a knocking at his bedroom door. Steve looked up to see a very hesitant Danny Williams peaking inside Steve's bedroom. He caught an eyeful of Steve in all of his glory, splayed out on his bed trying to look seductive but actually only looking pissed.

"Danno! I was just coming out to get you. Come on! Enough of this! Let's get the show on the road."

"Well, you see, that's the problem. That plus looking at you laying there in … in your all together." Rubbing his hands across his face, Danny sighed and said, "I've got bad news."

"Yeah. I know. You're still dressed and I'm laying here naked. Come on, you want to have sex, then get your clothes off and get into this bed!"

Danny's eyes widen in surprise. Then they widen more in shock. Then … well, there was no more widening – they were as big as they could get."

"You," Danny said pointing at Steve. He hesitated for nearly a full 30 seconds before turning his hand to point at himself. "Me." More hesitation. "Us."

"Come on, Danno! This was your big idea. Now get your ass into this bed. I've been good and resisted temptation for all these months. If you are so all fired determined that we should fuck, then let's fuck. But I warn you – this could change the team dynamics."

Danny simply stood staring open mouthed at Steve.

"Danno! Come on! I don't have all night!"

Holding up one finger he said, "Well, actually you do. I was coming in to tell you that your date canceled. She's not coming. Had to cover someone else's shift unexpectedly. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"What woman?"

"Your date. She's my neighbor. She saw you a couple of times and thought you were hot."

Steve stared at Danny, the information slowly seeping into his brain. Danny had never intended to sleep with him. Danny had set him up with someone else. A woman! And Steve was laying naked in front of his coworker. Steve had completely and utterly misread the situation – and had made a fool of himself in front of his partner. Oh, could this situation get any worse?

The two men simply stared at one another for a moment. "Detective Williams. Could you please step outside for a moment? Thank you."

As Danny stepped out, Steve rose from the bed and pulled on the shorts and t-shirt he had been wearing earlier. Taking a deep breath he marched out of the bedroom to the living room where he found Danny. He would have expected the man to be pacing a hole in the carpet but instead he stood still, eyes cast downward, body held stiffly.

"Good night, Detective," Steve said as he walked to the front door, holding the door open, hoping – no, praying – that Danny would simply leave. He fully expected the walking tornado to throw his arms around, swear, stomp, and complain about the color of the sky, the sand on the beach, anything and everything. But much to his surprise, Danny walked past with his hands in his pockets, head held down, and said, "Good night. I'm sorry, Steve."

"Me, too, Danno. Me, too." He closed the door and retreated into the house, turning off the lights and sitting alone in the dark contemplating what a complete fucked up mess this had turned into.

 

 **Chapter Two**

Neither man slept exceptionally well that night, but nonetheless both were in the office on time the next morning, studiously avoiding one another. They had relatively little time in the office before they were called out to the field. As frequently happened, Steve's approach to getting the job done differed somewhat from Danny's by the book approach.

Usually Steve conceded the point if it did not hamper his bringing down the bad guys. Today, however, he was simply being aggressive. Their criminals du jour were not the brightest bulbs in the box and could easily have been handled any number of ways. Steve, being Steve, jumped straight into the fray with both feet first.

When the appropriate people had been handcuffed and carted off to jail, Danny walked up to Steve who stood talking with Kono and Chin. Butting into their conversation, he walked right up to Steve and invaded his personal space. "What the fuck were you thinking? What was that back there? Do you know you could have been killed? Huh?" He poked Steve in the chest.

"On top of that you violated, oh, I don't know, let's say about a dozen parts of a variety of laws." Danny was just getting wound up for a full-blown rant with arms flapping, forehead veins popping – the whole works. But Steve surprised everyone when he pushed Danny back – hard – and yelled at the man.

"Don't you tell me how I should to do my job, you son of a bitch! When the governor names you head of the group then you do it your way. Until then, I'm in charge and if you have a problem with the way I do business then I suggest that you get the hell out." Steve turned to walk away, but stopped and walked back, adding, "And if you ever poke me in the chest with that finger again … I'll break it off and shove it down your throat."

Chin had seen the boss get mad before, but this topped even what he had seen. The guy's father was notorious for having a volatile temper, but Steve seemed to have a more easy-going approach to life. Looking at his two colleagues, Chin noticed that they both were shocked.

Kono simply asked, "You two fighting about something again?"

Knowing that Danny was not shy about expressing his opinions, Chin expected to hear a tirade from the shorter of the two men, reacting to Steve's parting words. But of all the scenarios that rapidly played through his mind, the one where Danny quietly put his head down and walked away was not one of them.

Chin saw the man put his hands in his pockets and walk slowly down the street. It was only when he was nearly out of sight that Chin remembered that they had all come together. Danny's destination was as mysterious as his reaction had been. Looking at Kono he realized that Steve had taken off with their transportation, leaving him and Kono as abandoned as Danny.

"Come on, let's go check on him," Kono said. "We've got to get ourselves home anyway."

Together they walked off in the direction Danny had taken a few moments earlier. The man couldn't have been more than two or three minutes ahead of them but in that short time he had somehow managed to disappear. Both Chin and Kono surveyed in each direction but found not one single sign of the man.

"How did he do that?" she asked.

"Not a clue. Want to check out some of the stores around here? I don't see any bars or I'd say we should start there."

"Sure. Why not. I'll take left, you take right. We'll meet up at the end of the block." Following their assigned search grid, the two checked the few stores in the area but found no sign of their colleague.

When they reconnoitered at the end of the block, Kono sighed and said, "Don't know what else to check."

"Nothing to check. Let's head back to the office." They had spotted a city bus stop about a block back and knew that the buses that ran through the area would eventually take them back toward their offices at the Palace.

The office was quiet an hour later when they finally made it back. Kono checked Steve's office while Chin checked Danny's office – both were as they had been left earlier in the day. "Not good, cuz. What should we do?"

Chin sighed deeply. "I wish I knew. We don't have all the facts – not by a long shot. Something big is going down between those two." Chin paused for a moment, thinking. "Tell you what – you go past Steve's house and see if he's there and I'll go to Danny's apartment and see if he's there."

"Good plan, cuz." The two took off on their respective missions. Kono had the easier task since Danny's apartment was closer than Steve's house, but her target was not to be found in an easy place. Chin had no more luck on his end. When they spoke a few minutes after Chin got to Steve's house they agreed that they were likely chasing their tails and without more to go on they were just wasting their time.

Heading back to the office they waited impatiently throughout the afternoon, hoping, praying that one or both men would show up arm in arm, all smiles, having talked out their differences. But their hopes were not to be fulfilled that day. Neither Steve nor Danny reappeared in the office. Nor did either man call, e-mail, text, or send smoke signals. Both men had gone off-radar, apparently each to lick their own wounds.

The next morning Kono and Chin showed up early on the off chance that Steve and/or Danny would come in to explain everything from the previous day. Partly their hopes were achieved: Steve rolled in at about 8:30 but aside from a terse "good morning" said nothing to anyone, simply going into his office and closing the door.

Steve was not a formal man, but one formality he had instituted was a regular staff meeting. It happened that this was that day. At the appointed hour of 9:00 Steve appeared in the bull pen, looking around to see if everyone was assembled. Not finding one of his team he was about to say something when Danny walked into the office. He pulled up a chair and sat down at the table without a word. When Chin looked at him, he said, "Sorry to be late."

Steve ignored Danny and his apology and started through the agenda, which was thankfully short that day. Accustomed to an energetic exchange between their boss and their coworker, Chin and Kono were troubled to see none of the spark that was usually present in evidence that day.

Approximately 8 minutes after calling the meeting to order, Steve adjourned the meeting and headed back into his office. Danny went into his as well. Kono took it as a good sign that no doors were slammed shut. In fact, both doors remained open.

With a backlog of leads to sift through, the morning went by quickly. At about noon everyone started to disperse in their own directions to forage for food. The afternoon was quiet as well and before it seemed possible everyone was wrapping up for the day and heading home.

Kono and Chin stuck around after Danny and Steve had left – separately and without speaking, of course – and conferred about how to handle the latest spat between their two clueless coworkers. The solution was rather obvious – get them in the same room together talking. The execution of that solution was another thing entirely.

Neutral territory was called for and Chin had just the place in mind – a place where they could lock the two together and let them fight it out. Placing two calls, he left two deliberately vague voicemail messages telling the guys that he needed their help ASAP on a personal matter, giving directions. He hoped that their ruse would work.

An hour and a half later Chin was waiting at the Arizona Memorial. The sun was low in the sky and the tourists were long gone for the day, closing time having come and gone an hour ago. Chin had been reasonable enough to have the two guys arrive by separate boats piloted by two different cousins. He had clued in his cousins to his ploy and asked them to keep as clear as possible from other boats. Hopefully dusk would help to keep faces in shadows.

All watches had been synchronized and his cousins for once didn't operate on island time. Somehow he had managed to convey to them the importance and sensitivity of this particular meeting. Chin couldn't have choreographed a better event if he had tried. Steve walked through the Memorial from one side while Danny walked in from the other. Chin had instructed his cousins to pull back 300 yards and hold. He had warned them that this would take an unpredictable amount of time. He knew he would owe lots of favor for this one, but if he could get the two guys talking it was worth the price.

Another cousin of his worked at the Memorial and had patched him into the PA system. Having spotted each other, both Steve and Danny looked like they wanted to bolt. Kono's voice came over the PA system at precisely the right moment. "Ok, guys, I don't know who did what to who, but you've got to work it out. You're stuck here until you resolve your issues. Call my cell when you're argued it out and we'll bring the boats back – not until."

Both men audibly sighed, walking to the rail separated by about five feet. No one said a word for perhaps ten minutes.

"I suppose you've never been here," Steve said, breaking the ice.

Looking up, Danny answered, "No. Been meaning to but never seem to have the time." He looked around, and then added, "It's beautiful. I wish I'd made time earlier."

Steve was quiet for a minute. "During the daylight hours over there," he said pointing in one direction, "you can still see drops of oil rising up from the wreckage of the ship. After all these years there's still oil left and it's still slowly seeping out. It somehow makes it all more real and … brings tears to your eyes each time you see it."

"I'll have to come back during the daytime and take a look. Maybe bring Grace. She's old enough to understand."

"You do that, Danny. She'll remember it for the rest of her life."

More silence. Neither knew what to talk about, certainly hesitant about dealing with the main issue.

Danny took a deep breath and took a step toward Steve. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so very sorry. I didn't understand. I didn't mean to offend you or upset you. I'm so sorry, Steve. Please understand that I mean that so deeply."

"I do, Danno. I do. But things have changed now. I've been trained to keep so much of my life confidential, under the radar. On many levels. There's so many things I've done that I can't talk about with anyone. And now there's this – my ultimate secret. No one knows. I'm not comfortable with anyone knowing."

"Steve. Are you embarrassed?"

"Yes."

"Idiot! Don't be," Danny practically shouted at his friend.

"Why not? I made a complete fool of myself in front of you the other night. My standing in your eyes will never be the same again. The next time we're in a dangerous situation and I need you to trust me, that trust may not be there because I made a stupid assumption."

"Steve. First, I don't think any less of you. Second, it was my stupid meddling that created the whole problem in the first place." Danny stopped and looked at Steve.

"I can't disagree with you on the second point."

"Well, trust me on this – I'm right on all three of them."

"Three? I only heard two points. What's the third?"

"The third point, my friend," he said with a huge smile, "is that you are hung like a fucking mule! You my friend have absolutely nothing – I repeat, nothing – to be embarrassed about. You want to see embarrassed, then look at me beside you – no comparison. I had inadequacy issues just by walking into the room – and I was fully clothed, and I've never told you this, but I'm somewhat confidant."

Steve chuckled. After a few moments of quiet consideration, he added, "You're right, you know."

"Of course. Always. But what in particular?"

"I'm lonely. I've been so terribly lonely. My Dad is gone, Mary has moved on. I've got a house full of dead memories and no one with whom to make new memories, I've got no one to talk with about my day, about the economy, about my job, about my fears, worries, desires. The career – and life – I had known for 16 years in the Navy is suddenly over. All the friends I had were in the Navy, and they're gone now, too. I'm really lonely."

"Well, we're gonna try again to get you set up with some women I know."

"No, Danny. No women. I'm physically attracted to men. I need a man, and I don't think that's your forte, my friend."

"I'll learn. Well, not to have sex with men, but to help you look for a guy to share your life with – somewhere out there is the perfect guy for you. Left to your own devices, I cannot imagine what a disaster you would come up with for us to manage."

"Danny, there is no scenario I can imagine in which I would want your help in picking out a man."

"Steven! You wound me. I happen to have very good taste in people. I picked you, didn't I?"

"No! I picked you!"

"Only because I let you."

"That is utter, complete, absolute, total revisionist history and you know it!"

Continuing their ongoing argument, they walked over to signal Chin and Kono that they were ready for pick-up. While they waited for the boat to return, Danny said, "So, tell me, what features do you want in a man? I mean, are you a butt man? You like blonds? I'm gonna need to have a few facts before we start looking for some men for you."

"No! Danny! No! I am begging you! Do not, do not, do not under any circumstances …"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. So, since you were attracted to me, I know you want someone classically handsome."

Sighing, Steve said, "You know, I could get rid of you before they get back here and no one would ever find the body."

"Steven, stop changing the subject. Blond? Brunette? Jet black hair?"

Even over the noise of the motor from the approaching boat, Chin and Kono heard Steve's scream of frustration. Life was back to normal.


End file.
